North Africa
Physical Geography
Landforms
• Atlas Mountains are
located in the northwest
in Morocco.
• Sinai Peninsula is part of
Egypt to the east.
• Sahara Desert is in
southern North Africa.
Bodies of Water
• Nile River is in Egypt.
• Suez Canal connects the
Red and Med. Seas.
• Mediterranean Sea is to the
north.
• Red Sea is to the east.
• Atlantic Ocean is to the
west.
• Strait of Gibraltar separates
Africa from Europe
Physical Map of North Africa
Pictures of North Africa
Nile River
Satellite Image of the Nile River
Sahara Desert
Pictures Continued
Sinai Peninsula
Sahara Desert
Suez Canal in Egypt
North Africa’s Resources
• Oil is the main natural resource of North
Africa.
• Hydroelectric power is generated on the
Nile River by the Aswan High Dam.
• The Nile River provides water for farmers.
North Africa’s Religion
• Most people in North Africa follow Islam.
• Islamic Law rules their daily lives in
business, government, banking, and
family.
• Islamic Law prohibits alcohol, pork, lying,
stealing, gambling, and murder.
• The holy book is the Quran.
• Muhammad is the founder of Islam.
Religion Picture
Countries following Islam
Egypt Pictures
Egyptian Mosques
North Africa’s people
• Most people are Arab or Berber.
• The two major languages are Arabic and
Berber.
• Many people in rural areas are farmers
along the Nile or an oasis.
• Many people in cities work as architects,
bus drivers, scientists, or bankers.
• Some people work in markets or in crafts.
North Africa’s countries
Egypt
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Cairo is the capital with a
population of 10 million people.
Most people follow Sharia or
Islamic Law.
Most people live along the Nile
½ of Egypt’s people live in cities.
Egypt’s farmers in rural areas are
called the fellaheen.
The open air markets in Egypt are
called bazaars.
Some parts of Cairo are modern
and some are over 1,000 years
old.
Algeria
• More than 80% of the country
is a desert.
• Algeria’s farmers grow wheat,
barley, and raise livestock.
• Most of Algeria’s people are
Arabic, but some are Berber.
• Most people live along the
Mediterranean coast.
• People who live in the desert
live near an oasis.
• At the heart of Algerian cities
are mosques and market
places.
Egypt Challenges
• People can farm along the Nile River yearround because of the Aswan High Dam.
• The Aswan High Dam has caused the Nile
Delta to shrink because it blocks the silt
and farmers must use chemical fertilizers.
• Fertilizers threaten Egypt’s water supply.
Egypt Continued
Nile River
Sphinx
Pictures
Cairo, Egypt
Pyramids in Egypt
Pictures
The End